The Visitor Center WILL be open on July 4th, Come and See Us! The North Water Crossing is closed due to flooding. |
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Where are the Birds Going? A Discussion of Current Bird Population Trends By Dr. Wayne Meyer In 2019 Rosenberg et al. published a paper in Science magazine. They studied population numbers for 529 species of birds in North America (all of them for which sufficient data were available to assess populations trends). They found that 303 species were declining, many precipitately so. Furthermore, they found that nearly all species were less numerous than before, with more than 3 billion less individuals than there were even as recently as the 1970s. That translates to a loss of 25% of all individual birds that were alive 50 years ago (of course, the study accounted for natural demise and lifespan of the various species). Back in 1962, when Rachel Carson published Silent Spring, the losses were a lot lighter, about 10%, but that was enough to raise awareness and concern in many people. When the 2019 study came out, there was less public uproar than for the FIFA World Cup. In 2009 a coalition of conservation group decided to share their datasets and publish “The State of the Birds” reports. All of the reports deal with a different aspect of bird conservation. The first assessed the state of birds in several different habitats.
They found that wetlands birds had increased since 1968, but birds in forests, aridlands and grasslands were declining. The major reason for waterbird recovery was the large contribution of National Wildlife Refuges and organizations like Ducks Unlimited which greatly increased habitat and protections for waterbirds. Forests did less poorly primarily because North America was mostly lumbered between 1870 and 1928, so they started at low populations before the study’s comparisons were made. |
Ninety-five percent of grasslands have been lost in North America. Most of that loss is due to conversion to agriculture, but also to urban sprawl and energy extraction. Forty-eight % of species in grasslands are of concern (Endangered, Threatened, or recognized by states as being in serious trouble. The “of concern” rating varies greatly from state to state). The most effective programs identified for improving bird populations in grasslands were the Conservation Reserve Program and the Wetlands Reserve Program. The first one paid farmers to not plant lands that were highly erodible. They committed to keeping the land offline for at least ten years, and were required to make wildlife-oriented improvements on the land. The second program did the same for lands immediately near water sources. Conservation Reserve was intended to prevent erosion of soils while Wetland Reserve was to protect water quality and supply and to decrease erosion by runoff. Both programs also protected habitat and food supplies for a variety of birds. While bird protection was not an initial goal of these programs, it was a very good unintended consequence. Unfortunately, congress has a habit of reversing a lot of wise decisions and both Reserve programs have been defunded for more than 10 years, so no one is being paid not to plant. Short-sighted profit/loss has overruled long-term vision and bird populations will probably start to decline soon. In fact, a few already have. Aridlands are showing tremendous declines. Of the 80 species of aridland birds, 75% are in decline and 39% of concern. Multiple reasons are responsible for these declines including conversion of habitat to urbanization, invasive species (Cheatgrass | Sponsor the Friends With Membership Tram Tours suspended until cooler weather Early Bird Walks suspended until cooler weather Gardening, Mowing and Work Crew Visitor Center Volunteers Needed! Subscribe to Our Monthly Featherless Flyer |
arrived in the late 1800s and has spread to the point that in very large areas native plants cannot compete), and energy extraction. Forests have far more bird species than either habitat we have discussed. Of 300 species monitored in forests more than 1/3 of them are in decline. Causes of decline include fragmentation (especially from housing), urbanization and increased frequency and intensity of forest fires. Ever since Smoky the Bear started telling us to prevent forest fires, fuels have accumulated at unprecedented levels so what would have been minor fires that cleared accumulated fuel without damaging trees now kill everything in wide areas. While some birds specialize on recovering burnt forests, the impacts on other species totally outweigh those gains. The researchers identified sustainable forestry practices as effective means of keeping birds in their habitats. |
LeContes Sparrow by Mayve Strong | While wetlands show general increases, birds like rails, terns and sparrows have not benefitted like the ducks and geese. Still 24% of species in wetlands are of concern. In addition to establishing more refuges for waterfowl, things like cessation of draining wetlands for mosquito control, the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) and organizations like Ducks Unlimited and Partners in Flight have set aside lots of habitat in both breeding areas and areas where migrating birds look for resources as well as more wintering habitat. The Pittman-Robertson Act puts a tax on all hunting, fishing and camping gear, the proceeds of which are required to be spent on habitat for wildlife. The Duck Stamp required for waterfowl hunting also raises funds for acquisition of habitat. |
A further study in 2022 identified so called tipping point species, species which had declined by at least 67% in the last 50 years and were on course to lose another 50% in the next 50 years. These would be candidates for endangered or threatened status if Endangered Species Act (ESA) activities were not currently blockaded. Of the 1093 species protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA), 89 are currently listed as threatened or endangered under the ESA. Seventy tipping point species were identified and another 20 were called “On alert”, having missed tipping point status but having lost ~ 50 % of populations in the last 50 years.
So, what can we do about these declines? State of the Birds recommends scaling up conservation activities for all species. They point out that this will benefit humans as well as wildlife. For example, the work that has been done to conserve wetlands birds has also led to better water quality through natural filtering actions of wetlands. Restoring habitat for other species could benefit humans directly through such things as increased resilience to climate change by buffering weather effects, improvement of environmental justice by improving areas where less wealthy people live, and increasing biodiversity which increases economic opportunities, recreation and well-being of people. Three main recommendations for the road to recovery are:
Here are the State of the Bird Reports and the URL for getting to them: URL: Stateofthebirds.org
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Refuge Update: Though refuge lands are open from sunrise until sunset every day of the year, the Visitor Center is open Monday through Saturday 9-4, Sunday 1-5. It's a great time to visit the refuge! The North Water Crossing is closed due to flooding. The Lotus Flowers are amazing on Meadow Pond Trail! It is a 4 mile hike (roundtrip) but worth every step! Start early! |
More Amazing Nature Photos taken at the refuge. Facebook account Required. |
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Upcoming Activities:
The Friends of Hagerman is Hosting 6 Family Friendly Events in July! Donate to help fund programs like these! |
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Second Saturday: But Can You Eat It? Saturday, at 10:00 AM in the Visitor Center
This talk will be centered around some of our local native “weeds” that are not only edible, but full of nutrition and (possibly) medicinal benefits! For thousands of years before modern farming, most people knew what local plants were safe to eat, useful for materials, and helpful when illness or injury happened. We have lost a lot of this knowledge as we have become dependent on more modern conveniences. We will look at a few local weeds with hidden benefits. Our focus will be on how to recognize them, when and how to harvest them, and how to properly prepare them for food and home remedies. Grayson County has been Karen Glenn’s home, off and on, since 1972. She has witnessed many changes in the area as the impacts of development change the native flora and fauna in North Texas. Since moving back home in 2000, Karen has taken part in numerous research projects at the University of Oklahoma Biological Station on Lake Texoma, taught chemistry courses at several local colleges and universities, volunteered at Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge, and, in 2017, joined the Texas Master Naturalist program. She and her son live on a small acreage in Gordonville, where they are working to restore the native habitat, which is rapidly disappearing due to development in the area. Her property has become her laboratory, and she looks forward to enjoying nature full time after retirement! Photo by Pam Rendall-Bass Registration is not necessary—all are welcome! But if any of these programs spark your curiosity, signing up will get you a friendly reminder three days beforehand. You’ll also receive our once-a-month Featherless Flyer newsletter—no email overload, and it’s easy to unsubscribe anytime. Future Second Saturday Programs |
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Nature'Ology was a Grand Success! Pre-teens, volunteers, and expert presenters came together for an unforgettable day of hands-on nature exploration. From snakes and spiders to butterflies and beyond, campers discovered the wonders of the natural world—and even the weather was perfect! Know a child who loves nature? Subscribe to the 2027 Nature'Ology Day Camp Mailing List and be among the first to hear when registration opens! |
Join the Refuge Cleanup!
Saturday, July 18 at 8:00 AM and every 3rd Saturday!
Bring gloves, bucket and picker if you have them. We will meet at the VC where there may or may not be donuts.
These cleanups are always a blast, and many hands make light work. Bring a friend and let's keep the Refuge beautiful. Scouts welcome! Ranger Beard will be on hand to sign for community service hours.
Photo by Pam Rendall-Bass |
ADOPT-A-GOOSE 2026
Help Feed the Geese Over-Wintering on Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge Each winter, thousands of Snow Geese and Ross’s Geese visit Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge (HNWR). These geese have migrated thousands of miles from nesting grounds near the Arctic Circle to HNWR. To provide a vital food resource for these exhausted and hungry travelers, HNWR plants fields of winter wheat. The Friends of Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge (FoH) sponsors the “Adopt-a- Goose” fund raiser to help offset budget constraints of the refuge and purchase the wheat seed needed to plant the fields. Please consider supporting our effort with your generous donation. How can you help? Adopt-a-Goose Donations of any amount are greatly appreciated.
Why did the Friends of Hagerman start Adopt-A-Goose?
What are the benefits?
What is being provided by the Friends of Hagerman?
Donation Method You can donate with a credit/debit card by scanning the QR code or using the link friendsofhagerman.org/Donate.
The Friends of Hagerman NWR Foundation is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) entity whose mission is to instill reverence, respect and conservation of our wild creatures and habitats through supporting environmental education, recreational activities and programs of Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. No goods and services are to be received by donors; therefore, all donations may be tax-deductible. |
Discover the Nature Nook's Unique HAGERMAN NWR T-Shirt Collection
Join us at the Refuge's Nature Nook gift shop as we shine a monthly spotlight on one special department. This month, we're featuring our uniquely designed T-shirts! Show off the beauty of Hagerman with our nature inspired graphics and our own refuge logos. Every purchase supports our educational programs for both children and adults in our community so bring your family and friends by the Nature Nook, pick up a T-shirt, and wear your Hagerman pride wherever you go. |
Butterfly Garden Walks
Registration is not necessary |
Pipevine Swallowtail (right) by Laurie Sheppard |
The Weekly Bird Census
Left to Right: Wayne Meyer, Nancy Riggs, Jack Chiles, and Mike Petrick Each Tuesday a team of experienced birders, including Master Naturalist Jack Chiles, traverse 35 miles of refuge roads and hiking trails, documenting every bird they encounter. This Bird Census is reported to The Cornell Lab of Ornithology for use in research, and each week we will bring you a link to their actual bird count, and a summary of their adventures. June 30, 2026 Complete Bird Census 57 Species Observed, 699 Individuals It was a toasty day for the census but a breeze made the morning more pleasant. Lake level is still above normal and so there is still no habitat for shorebirds with a couple of Killdeer being the only shorebirds on the count. Purple Martins are beginning to congregate in groups in anticipation of migration with 68 counted today. We counted 20 Painted Buntings, 16 Indigo Buntings and 4 Blue Grosbeaks. Most of the birds seen today are birds that breed here so we had a low count of 51 species. Hopefully lake levels will return to normal summertime levels by the end of July in time for shorebird migration. The flower photos of today are Woolly Rose-mallow(correct me if I am wrong) Hibiscus lasiocarpas. This species is very abundant on the refuge this year. The pink one is a variant of the species that to my knowledge is only found in one location on the refuge on Haller Haven trail. See the rest of Jack's notes and the latest Bird Census Results |
The Friends of Hagerman NWR Photo Club Meeting: Workflow - Manage Your Images Saturday, July 18, 2026 at 1:00 PM
A photography workflow is essential for efficiently managing your images from the moment you capture them to the final step of sharing with others. We will look at the specific steps involved in a typical photography workflow as well as demonstrate them. We will also explore some of the features in Lightroom that can help make organizing and sharing your files much easier. A good workflow can allow you to spend less time on file handling and more time taking photos. Get your photos ready! The contest begins September 1st! Contest Details |
| Puddles' Craft Corner By Cindy Steele, Master Naturalist |
Ants in Your Pants!
Welcome back to Puddles’ Craft Corner! Everyone loves to go on a picnic. You’ve brought everything you need for a fun picnic at the park…water, sandwiches, fruit, chips, cookies, and ANTS!
That’s ok because when they’re not crushing our picnic and eating our food, they’re an extremely helpful part of nature. So, let’s learn about the hard-working, social, super-strong world of ants!
We all have seen lots of common house ants, but did you know that there are more than 12,000 distinct species of ants all over the world! Some of these ants can bite or sting, but most of them are harmless to people. You’ll find many distinct kinds of ants that come in many different sizes, colors, and shapes, but they all live in large groups called colonies.
Ants live all over the world except the continent of Antarctica. It’s just too cold for them there. That’s funny, since the name of the continent has the word “ant” in it!
Home, Sweet Home!
You probably give very little thought to ants. They're so small and they can be easily stepped on. However, a lot goes on under the surface with these remarkable insects. Have you ever seen an ant hill? It just looks like a pile of sand, but within its walls is the entrance to an organized base called an ant colony.
An ant colony describes both the place ants live in as well as the social order in which they are organized. Ants are smart. They are also expert builders. Each colony is a home to multiple underground tunnels and chambers, or rooms. The depth of these colonies depends on the species of ant, but it ranges from a little more than 2-3 feet deep to some being as much as 25 feet deep. The size depends on the number of ants in the colony. These colonies are organized and huge. A colony of 5,000 ants may have 100 chambers.
An ant colony is an underground home where ants eat, mate, and live. There are many underground chambers, or rooms, connected to the earth. The many tunnels connect the different chambers. There are rooms for the queen and the future queens. There are also rooms for storing food. Some rooms are nurseries. The colony even has resting rooms for the hard–working worker ants.
Every ant in the colony has a job. The colony is built and taken care of by the worker ants. The workers are always female. These females cannot have children of their own. They carry tiny pieces of dirt in their "hands". They deposit the dirt near the entry of the colony to form an ant hill. They use their spit to build the colony chambers, tunnels, and walls. Some workers take care of the eggs and the larvae. Other workers are soldiers and work to protect the colony. The soldiers may fight off enemy insects. They use their large heads to block the entrance to the colony. Some workers are responsible for getting food outside of the ant hill for the entire colony. They store it in one of the rooms. Worker ants live about two–three years.
Junior Ranger Program: Advanced and Intermediate
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| The Junior Ranger Pledge As a Junior Ranger I watch out for danger I protect nature I have fun I share what I've learned with everyone! |
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Sponsors Enable the Friends to…
Join Today! Memberships available for $20 |
Sunrise at the Little Sit by Laurie Sheppard | Photo by Cathy Van Bebber |
Meet Jack and the Bird Census Team and learn how to identify the birds of North Texas while enjoying the beautiful sunrise over Lake Texoma! Modeled after Cornell's national "Big Sit" event, a group of dedicated birders invite you to join them at sunrise to conduct a bird count as multiple species fly to the water and the surrounding land to feed. Leaders will bring spotting scopes and will provide tips for identification of the many species you will see. This event lasts a couple of hours, but all are welcome to come and go as they please. Participants are advised to bring a chair, binoculars and water. The First Saturday of every month, beginning 30 minutes before sunrise. |
Location: H Pad, Sadler, Texas 76264 (H Pad is in Sadler, but it is part of the refuge) GPS Coordinates: 33.734961, -96.780582
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Do You Like to Work Outside? The Refuge Needs You!
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It takes a lot of people to have a beautiful garden! The Wednesday Garden Team Love to work with native plants and meet other gardeners? Come and help us add plants, weed and mulch our beautiful butterfly garden. Garden Team volunteers get first dibs on thinned native plants as well as access to seeds and cuttings for propagation. Gardeners meet on most Wednesdays, but times vary. Contact Us to subscribe to the volunteer garden team weekly email. Provide own tools and gloves. Minimum age 18, or 16 if accompanied by parent/volunteer. |
Mowing and Refuge Beautification: The Work Crew Do you enjoy working outside, mowing, sprucing up hiking trails, trimming and removing brush and general cleanup? Show your love for nature by joining the Outdoor Crew at Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge. Outdoor Crew volunteers meet on the First Tuesday and Fourth Saturday of every month. Contact Us for exact times, dates and other details about joining the volunteer Work Crew. Scouts welcome! |
Visitor Center Volunteers Needed! |
Do you enjoy meeting all kinds of people from all over the world, and like-minded people in our area? If yes, consider joining our team of Visitor Center Volunteers. You will greet refuge guests, distribute maps and other refuge information, and make sales in the gift shop. Shifts available every day of the week: Monday through Saturday 9 AM to 12:30 PM and 12:30 to 4:00 PM, Sunday 1:00 to 5:00 PM. Training is provided. Contact Us if interested. |
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| Thank You To Our Contributors: Jack Chiles, Wayne Meyer, Pam Rendall-Bass, Cindy Steele, Mayve Strong Refuge Manager: Kathy Whaley Acting Deputy Refuge Manager: Mary Maddux Visitor Services Manager: Spencer Beard Friends of Hagerman NWR Foundation 6465 Refuge Road, Sherman, TX 75092 Phone: 903-786-2826 Join us on Facebook: |
Search for any word--do not use quotes for phrases |
6465 Refuge Road Sherman, TX 75092
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Kroger: Stop by the customer service desk at Kroger and link your Kroger Card to the Friends of Hagerman: the Friends will get rewards for every dollar you spend, at no cost to you.
Please add info@friendsofhagerman.org to your contacts to ensure delivery of registration confirmations, account information and the Featherless Flyer
See you at the refuge!